The 4400
by soraxtsuna123
Summary: It has been two years since Ponyboy Curtis has disppeared. All hope of finding him were gone until a comet started to plummet down to the earth.When the comet had landed 4400 people appeared from the comet. The 4400 were the ones who had disappeared.But none of them had aged since the day they disappeared and some of them had gained a special ability. Based off of the show The 4400
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders nor the small idea I am using from the show The 4400.**

**o-o-o**

Another crash of glass made the boy that was sitting outside on a wooden bench flinch. He wished he could go inside with his gang, but Darry told him not to enter because he was "too young". Ponyboy Curtis sighed and flipped to another page in his novel that was held tightly in his hands. He combed his fingers through his greased auburn hair.

"Sure is still loud out here…" Another boy muttered.

"I wonder why we still had to come even though we have to wait out here for them. They are probably just in there playing pool or chatting up some skimpy broads," Ponyboy complained, rolling his green-grey eyes. "We could have been watching a movie, or something. What would you like to do in the meantime, Johnny?"

Johnny shook his head in uncertainty. He was never the one to really make the decisions.

Another half an hour passed and the other members of the gang did not leave Buck's.

"Seriously, how long are they going to be in there? Did they forget about us or something?" Ponyboy asked as he flipped to another page in his nearly finished book.

"Want me to go check?" Johnny asked, standing up. Ponyboy just shrugged and Johnny ran over to the front doors and slipped inside.

Ponyboy went back to his book. But it was not long until he was interrupted. A bright, golden light shone on him like a spotlight, making his attention to snap towards the source. As soon as his eyes looked upwards he froze. He could not move. The light shone from the sky, and no matter how hard Ponyboy tried to pry his attention away, he was too mesmerized to look away. The light seemed to get brighter as the seconds passed. It looked like something was reaching towards Ponyboy.

A book fell onto the seat of the bench; the owner was out of sight like he disappeared in thin air. The light dimed away as if it was never there at all.

Johnny stepped out of the bar a minute later. "They said to wait another half-" Ponyboy was not there. "Ponyboy?"

Johnny jogged over to the bench and picked up the book. His eyes grew wide with worry. Ponyboy would never leave a book behind like this. Johnny ran back to the bar.

**o-o-o**

Two years had passed since the youngest greaser of their gang has disappeared. There had been no clue as to where he was taken. Ever since then, the gang has been quieter. It just was not the same without Ponyboy. Soda had stopped smiling as much and always seemed out of it, Johnny does not let out even a peep anymore, Two-Bit started to drink more from stress, Steve took all of his time in trying to convince Soda to do stuff with him, Dally visited the Curtis house less, and Darry started to work less in hopes Ponyboy would pop up at the doorsteps.

It seemed strange that Ponyboy, someone who hardly spoke to the others, was the string that held them together.

Two years.

Ponyboy would have been sixteen by now.

"Soda, do you want to watch the comet that will be passing by tonight?" Steve asked.

Soda sighed. "Sure. I'm sure Pony would have loved to see it."

It was Steve's turn to sigh in exasperation. "I'm sure he would, but you should stop hanging yourself on him. Kid's gone. But knowing him, he'll annoyingly come back."

"Two years, Steve! What are the chances of him coming back?"

"You guys are so loud!" Two-Bit whined as he trudged out of the bathroom. His hand was placed on his forehead as he tried to shake off the nausea.

"Sorry, Two-Bit…"

The day slowly passed and night was coming up. In that time, Johnny and Dally walked in the house together. They must have been close by. Darry walking in the living room and yawned.

"You all going to see the comet?" Dally asked.

"Eh, I think I'm going to watch some Mickey," Two-Bit replied.

Steve and Soda nodded as well as Darry. Johnny did the same.

"Anyone know what time it should be passing?" Steve asked. But no one needed to answer.

"Have you ever seen a star that bright?" Someone from another house asked loudly. The remaining gang members, minus Two-Bit walked outside. They all looked at the sky and was astonished at the sight. Never before, besides Johnny, had they paid attention to the sky. Billions upon billions of stars were scattered across the dark sky. Each one was just as bright as the others. But one stood out compared to the rest. This one was planted right in the center of the stars. It shone a hundred times brighter than the rest.

"Is that the comet?" Soda asked. "Aren't they supposed to be moving?"

The gang just stood gaping at the star. They had all seen one comet in their lifetime, but none of the comets had stayed in place like the one they are observing now.

"Hey! What happened to Mickey?!" Two-Bit screamed. Darry sighed and walked in the house to check up on Keith.

"What is it?" Darry asked.

"The news switched of Mickey!"

Darry looked at the screen. The TV now portrayed a male reporter with a worried look on his face. Darry walked to the TV and turned to knob to change the channel. The channel knob must have moved and changed the channel. But the same news reporter was on the next channel. Darry turned to each of the few channels the TV would offer. All of them were the same.

"_The comet that was supposed to be flying passed the earth has somehow changed course. I know what you are all thinking. 'Comets can't change course!' But it has. It is now coming towards Earth at an accelerating speed. It will hit down in about twenty minutes. If something so large and fast hits earth… I don't even want to think about it." The reporter spoke._

"Everyone. Inside!" Darry ordered. Everyone rushed in quickly at the tone Darry used. His tone was full of urgency. He motioned towards the TV where the reported had his hand on his ear.

"_It's just in. China and Russia had shot their missiles at the comet. America will be next."_

"What's going on?" Johnny asked.

"The comet changed course towards Earth." Darry explained.

The screen changed over to another reporter that was outside. Behind her was the sky. She turned around when the missiles from America were shot and everyone watched them rocket to the sky.

The screen changed back to the front desk.

"_We had just gotten news that the each missile hit their target, but it was all futile. The comet is still going as fast as ever."_

"What's going to happen?" Soda asked.

"_The comet has once again changed course. It is now directly going down to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa residence, prepare and I am sorry."_

Everyone's eyes widened at the news.

"We're all going to die…" Steve mumbled.

"_What? How's that possible?" _The newsman had a troubled look on his face as he was being talked to through his headpiece. _"Ladies and gentlemen, it would seem that the comet had slowed down…like it is landing… We had gotten the location of where the comet would land, we will switch out for that camera."_

The screen changed to a fielded area. Cops and other agencies were already there waiting. The camera looked at the larger light as it came closer. The screen shook as the cameraman looked upwards in fear. You can now see the comet as a large glowing blue and white ball. It slowly drifted down and hover thirty feet from the ground.

Everything went silent.

"_What's it doing?" A random agent asked to no-one-in-particular._

The comet started to grow smaller until it became a small ball. Then it grew big, the spherical shape turned into a bright light that consumed everything, its force pushed everyone back causing the camera to turn off.

"_What happened?"_ _The man in the front desk yelled as he popped up again._ Then the camera back at the spot turned back on. The ball of light was gone and in replacement there were clouds of dust. People started to get up from the ground one by one.

"_What the hell?" The cameraman said and pointed it towards the dust_. In the dust were the silhouettes of people. The dust started to clear away and everyone gasped. Thousands of people were standing in the middle of the field, each one of them looking around with confused faces. The camera zoomed in on the people and then the camera passed by one person and Johnny gasped in surprise.

"What is it, Johnny?" Dally asked.

"Ponyboy… he's there…" Johnny answered, eyes locked on the screen.


	2. Chapter 2

Ponyboy looked around. Where was he? Who were all these people? Each one of them looked just as surprised as the next. Asking what had happened would be out of the question.

The people around him all wore clothes from different places and time periods. There was a girl wearing clothes that looked like it was from the 30s, a african man wearing Rwandan clothes, Chinese children in rags, and so on.

Cameras were pointed at us. Were they on TV? What the heck is going on? Behind the cameras were more people, looking startled. Then they went into action with a command.

"Turn off the cameras!" A man in a suit ordered. The cameras lowered and he stepped forward. "Each one of you, come with me. You are under quarantine until we understand what the hell is going on!" Ponyboy knew from the tone to listen and he followed him with the group of confused people.

They were all forced in vehicles, Ponyboy being one of the first in being in a car, and left. A lot of them were left behind to wait for the next volley of rides.

"Where are you taking us?" An older, balding man, that sat next to him asked after gaining enough courage. The agent did not speak. A half hour had passed and no one spoke a word. They were now coming up on a large, fenced-off building with guards standing around it. Ponyboy's blood ran cold. They were going to lock them up in there.

The car parked and the agent stepped out. Guards came up to the car and opened the doors, grappling their hands on their arms and pushed them out towards the building.

The inside looked no different than the rest. It looked like a prison, minus the small cells.

"This way," a guard barked. They led them through a metal detector where Ponyboy had to give up his switch-blade. They were then changed into a oversized white shirt with a beige jacket that Ponyboy buttoned up. They all were given greenish-tinged pants.

The building was now flooded with others dressed like him. Hardly any of them spoke to one another as they were led to a larger room with a few tables and a few chairs to sit on. The walls and tiled floors were beige and the only windows were small slits near the ceiling. There were also a few television sets scattered around on the floor. On one wall there were glass windows where stools were set up. Ponyboy knew what those were for. He had often used them to talk to Dally when he was in prison.

The doors behind the group closed. One person tried to open them, but they were locked.

_How long are they going to keep us in here? _Ponyboy thought as he walked over to a seat. _I want to see my brothers again…_

As time passed, people started to get dragged out of the room one-by-one then come back.

A guard walked up to Ponyboy. "Come with me."

Ponyboy did not object and walked with him. It was better than sitting in the chair for hours, possibly days. He was led to a room where he was instructed to sit on a stool in front of a camera.

"Hello, can you state your name and age, please?" The man behind the camera asked.

"Ponyboy Curtis. I'm 14 years old," Ponyboy stated, getting a weird look after he said his name. He probably thought he was joking. "And, yes, that is my name, sir."

"Can you tell me what year it is?"

It was Ponyboy's turn to give him a weird look. "Why would you ask that?"

"Please answer the question."

"1966."

The man nodded to another in the room as if to confirm.

"Son, it's 1968."

"No, it's not… I was just at school and wrote the date down on my paper yesterday."

"Two years had passed since then."

"Two years couldn't have passed."

"It did."

"What was I doing in two years?"

"You tell me. What do you remember?"

Ponyboy put a hand on his chin as if to think. His eyes were narrowed as if he was trying to peer at the back of his mind for answers. "I was sitting in front of a bar waiting for the gang to come out. My friend, Johnny, went in to check on them, then I was surrounded by all of those people."

"Can you try to remember?"

Ponyboy nodded slightly then closed his eyes, trying to recall something. Anything that happened that night. Nothing. He shook his head.

"Alright. You may go back now."

The guards came in and took Ponyboy back into the stuffed room. More and more left and came back until no more were called. Ponyboy tapped his fingers against the wall to the tune of _I want to Hold Your Hand _by the Beatles. The television sets have long been shut off for the curtesy of others.

"I'm telling you! Let us out!" A voice exclaimed piercing through the silence. Ponyboy's attention, as well as many others, snapped towards him. Sitting in one of the talk booths was that man I sat next to on the way here. His face was filled with rage, knuckles had turned white as they curled around the table. "I am a certified American citizen! I know my rights! You can't keep up locked up in here for your personal experiments."

The agent on the other side flinched, probably agreeing. Ponyboy turned back around and continued to tap to another song.

A few days later a young boy ran up to him with a large smile on his face. "We're getting out! They're letting us out!"

Ponyboy's eyes widened. "What? Really?"

"Yeah! They called all of our relatives to pick us up!"

Ponyboy stood up, smile now on his face.

The large doors opened and Ponyboy had never seen a group of people try to run out of a room besides on the last day of school before summer break. Excited screams escaped a few lips.

It was soon where everyone was near the door and found more waiting. Around Ponyboy, people started to run off and hug others, letting out tears. Ponyboy scanned the crowd, searching for any familiar faces.

"Soda!" Ponyboy exclaimed once he saw his brother in the waiting crowd. The pretty-boy turned around at the call of his name and his face lit up brighter than a thousand suns. Ponyboy ran at him, swerving around others. Behind Soda, others also turned around. The gang.

The bodies collided and arms wrapped around Ponyboy in a giant hug.

"Look at you, you haven't aged a bit!"

"Look at you, you aged a lot!"

"Ponyboy, it's been two years."

They all chuckled, glad to be reunited again.

**o-o-o**

**Thank you _BumbleBee456, Guest, GinaRogers, SaiyanPrincess, Trixdelatrix, _and _basketball lover99 _for reviewing!**


	3. Chapter 3

It would seem like nothing would change in just two years. For Ponyboy, it did not feel right at all. Nothing really changed physically, but Ponyboy felt like everything was out of place. For him, he only left for a second then kept away from everyone for a few days. It felt weird—out of place—to have your family, friends, and people that you knew since you were born look at you with astonishment and relief in their eyes. They treated him like he has been gone for years, which he really has. Everything felt wrong. The atmosphere was all wrong.

Ponyboy looked up towards the sky. He was seated on the edge of the patio, legs drooping off the ledge. It was the only place where he could be alone now. Since he had disappeared, Darry had been keeping full watch on him, never letting him be alone. He does not want the same thing to happen again. The sky was sunny, yet cloudy. It was an awkward weather. He was in an awkward life. It portrayed him well.

"Hey," a voice greeted. Ponyboy looked back towards the screen door. Darry stood there leaning against the frame.

"Hi," Ponyboy answered back, turning his attention back to the sky which was starting to explode in colors.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking."

"About what happened?"

Ponyboy hummed in response. For a couple of beats, no one talking; no one moved. Darry shuffled behind him.

"They're making a really big deal about us," Ponyboy said. The 'us' was meant to represent the 4400. Ever since the day of the comet, the news had been going on and on about them. Rumors and theories were being made and shared. The first and the most booming theory was that the aliens abducted them and experimented on them. It seemed like everyone succumbed to the idea and grew scared of them. Many want the 4400 to go back into quarantine.

"Of course they are. Everyone who had disappeared into thin air was found in the same day."

"But why must they make rumors. None of them makes sense. Why would we be abducted by aliens and brought back down?"

"Just let your head rest, Ponyboy. You have a long day coming tomorrow."

Ponyboy spun around. "What do you mean?"

"You're going back to school, tomorrow."

"What? Why?"

"Believe it or not, but you never completed your years in high school. You're still technically 14."

His stomach dropped. Darry was right, he would have to go back to school. But was that the right thing to do? "I don't think that I should…"

"And why's that?"

"People are telling _us _to be locked up. They fear us, Darry."

"I doubt they fear you. They are just uneasy."

Ponyboy looked at Darry with pleading eyes, knowing that words cannot change the decision. But his expression was stolid. "You're going," he repeated and left to make sure he does not change his mind. Ponyboy groaned and turned back around. Rain started to pelt down onto the ground, growing harder by each passing second. Ponyboy scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. When had it started raining? Clouds could not have formed and gathered this quickly. He decided to let it pass and walk back inside. On the way to his room, he made sure not make eye contact with Darry.

The next day came sooner than Ponyboy wanted it too. He was woken up by the sound of Two-Bit screaming in his ear. He shot up from bed.

"What!?" Ponyboy asked, panicked but then calmed down, ears turned a bit red, when Keith started to burst out laughing.

"You should see your face!"

"Oh, shut it, Two-Bit!" After many minutes of Two-Bit trying to compose himself, Ponyboy asked, "What do you want?"

"Darry told me to drive you to school since he left to go to work."

Ponyboy nodded, pulling off his white shirt and replacing it with one of the cleaner ones. Two-Bit left the room and Ponyboy changed out of his sweats into jeans, pulled on his white, hi-tops, and put a thin, cotton jacket over his shirt. He left the room and headed to the bathroom; greasing his hair and brushing his teeth. Once he had finished getting ready, Ponyboy left the bathroom and swung his newly-found backpack over his shoulders.

Johnny was waiting outside when they left the house. He gave a small smile to Ponyboy as they entered the rusting automobile. The closer that they got to school, the tighter of a knot that forms in Ponyboy's stomach and the harder the rain pelted on the vehicle.

As Two-Bit pulled into the parking lot, the car lurched to one side, creaking. "Whoa, this storm…" Two-Bit muttered.

Ponyboy reached towards the door handle, placing all of his weight on the door. The car door slowly opened and Ponyboy stumbled out, quickly grabbing his backpack before the door slammed shut by the wind. The next one out was Two-Bit, who had to hold it open for Johnny to climb out. The rain hurt against Ponyboy's skin and it was hard to stand still in the wind. He pulled up the hood of his thin jacket over his head and the three greasers ran towards the school. The first place that the three went was the office. We walked up to the counter where a woman sat looking through files. She looked up, an annoyed looked passed through her eyes before she smiled.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"Uh, hi…um, I'm Ponyboy Curtis," Ponyboy introduced awkwardly. The woman's face lit up and she nodded.

"Ah, yes. You're one of the 4400. One second." She opened a cabinet, sliding out a folder and looked in it. "Alight, welcome back Mr. Curtis. Here's your new schedule and new locker."

"Thank you," Ponyboy said, taking the two slips of paper. Ponyboy, Two-Bit, and Johnny walked out of the office and down the hallway. Other students looked at Ponyboy after noticing that he got out of the office. The hallways were unnaturally quiet. The students whispered amongst each other.

"Is he one of them?"

"Yeah, he must be! Why else would he be attending this school now?

"Didn't he go here though? Like two years back? He was in my class, I think… Yeah! He was the one that disappeared."

"Why are they letting him back in his school? He's going to get us all killed!"

"They should have just shot down all of them…"

Ponyboy looked at his feet, pushing his way through the crowd with Two-Bit and Johnny at tow. People pushed back as if Ponyboy was infectious. Ponyboy was almost to his locker when a football player stepped in front of him. He growled and grabbed Ponyboy's shirt, slamming him against the lockers.

"Hey, freak! What are you doing here?!" The jock screamed, growling. Ponyboy struggled against his hold, but it only tightened. "Go back to where you came from!"

"Hey!" Two-Bit exclaimed, pulling the jock off of the smaller greaser. The jock clenched his teeth tightly, staring down Keith before looking at Ponyboy then at Johnny. As soon as he came, the jock left, grumbling. Two-Bit looked at Ponyboy. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he answered, readjusting his backpack and started to walk again. The three had to separate to get to their own individual classes. Well Johnny and he did. Two-Bit was probably going to try sneaking into the girl's locker room again. Luckily, only the teacher was in the classroom at that moment. Ponyboy walked to him and handed him the schedule.

"Ah, Mr. Curtis. So nice for you to join. We opened a seat for you." The teacher smiled and pointed to a desk near the front of the class. Ponyboy nodded his thanks, sitting down. The bell rung soon after and students filled in the classroom. As the seats quickly filled up, Ponyboy could feel stares being sent to him. They recognized him. But none of them approached; send harsh whispered to friends. It was not even an hour into the class when the girl that sat behind be started to whisper loud enough for the whole class to hear.

"Hey, Macy…" She hissed out. "I'm scared… He's going to get us all killed! He's an alien so his people will track him down. We'll be the first to die."

"Yeah… and think about what he can do if they experimented on him…" Macy answered back.

"He's a murderer…a killer…"

Ponyboy bit his lip. Each word that was spat out stung. His hands tightened around his worn-out, wooden pencil.

"He will be the reason the world ends."

Ponyboy closed his eyes in concentration, trying to block out the commentary. He could slightly hear cracking but that was muffled by the sound of the girls.

"He should just die…"

Then the windows exploded and gusts of wind pushed the glass towards the screaming students.

**o-o-o**

**Sorry that took so long to update :( I've been so busy. I had so much homework and I have my midterms coming up this week. Then the week after that are my exit exams which determines if I will be able to graduate in a few years. Then I also had to take these stupid SAT classes which I felt stupid in. So much stress. But now that the classes are over, I can probably update faster…unless my parents pay for another month… That would suck. Also I didn't look over this chapter so sorry if I have mistakes.**

**Also, if you have an account and are the first to review what reference I used in this chapter, you will win an Outsider's one-shot dedicated to you and written by me. The topic would be of your choice and we can talk about that with PMs. So, yeah! This short event will end when I update the next chapter.**

**REPLIES:**

**SaiyanPrincess: Sorry for not putting the homecoming in debt. I just thought I should take a large leap in my fanfiction instead of small steps.**

**The Curtis Crew: YEAH!**

**Tmntlover2013: Thank you. I hoped you liked this chapter.**

**Trizdelatrix: What can I say? I'm pretty lazy. I kind of was like "Whatever, I'll post this now… I'll put more in the next chapter." But I didn't. :/ Oh well. Sorry for the wait. **


	4. Chapter 4

Girls screamed as they dove under their desks. The lights that hung above flickered vigorously, hanging half way off the ceiling. Wind howled and the rain pelted into the room.

"Is everyone alright?" The teacher asked, coming out from behind the desk. The teacher was met with screams of the girls as they tried to cover up all the cuts on their faces and arms. The teacher dove to the phone, without a second thought, punching numbers in and held the phone against his ear. "Yes, my students are hurt… Alright… Hurry." He hung up, rushing to check on each and every kid.

"He…he did this!" A girl yelled, pointing a shaky finger at Ponyboy. But Ponyboy couldn't hear her. He sat in his desk, shaking, eyes wide. His dilated eyes tried to focus on his trembling hands but his mind was somewhere else. His mind was repeating the event that just happened. A hand touched his shoulder, causing him to jump and nearly fall out of his chair.

"Can you stand, sir?" The paramedic asked but Ponyboy did not respond. All he saw was the movement of the lips. He couldn't make out what she were saying. "Sir?"

Ponyboy shook his head. _Did I do this? _Ponyboy thought. He was feeling like he was about to explode when the window blew in. It's not possible, right? Humans can't just control weather like that. It was probably nothing. Ponyboy stood up, apologizing to the paramedic, and followed her outside the vacant room. Behind him, all the lights flickered out, consuming the room in darkness; leaving behind the shattered glass that circled Ponyboy's desk, not one piece broke into the circle. It was like a shield had surrounded Ponyboy, protecting him from impact.

He was taken to the gym for a check-up. They checked him up and down for any type of injury. Some students only got away with a few scratches, while others were rushed to the hospital to get stitches. After the check-ups were over, the intercom echoed throughout the gym.

"_Student body and teachers, because of the severe storm weather, report in the gym so that you can wait to be picked up by parents or guardians. School shall be canceled until further notice," _it said. From the gym, you can hear the cheers from every student in school and instant pounding of feet getting louder by each passing second. The gym doors swung open and students flooded the room.

"Ponyboy!" An arm looped around his shoulder. The young teen looked up. Two-Bit was smiling down at him. "What's up?"

"The window to our room exploded and most of my class got hurt."

"Are you okay?" Johnny asked, stepping into view.

"I'm fine." _But why am I fine? _Ponyboy looked around at the scathed students that were talking to their friends then looked at his own hands. _I was sitting near the window? How was I unscathed? _Without another thought, Ponyboy ran out of the room, leaving behind confused friends.

"Ponyboy!" Two-Bit called after him.

"Mr. Curtis! Get back in the gym!" A teacher yelled after seeing him leave. But Ponyboy kept running. He swerved around corners and ran straight towards his classroom that he had just left moments before. The wind gushed in, but it was somehow lighter. Instead, thunder sounded in the sky, flashes of lightning coming a few seconds after it. The flashes lit up the room enough to catch glimpses of the room. Ponyboy walked towards his desk, crunching the pieces of glass along the way. He took another step closer, expecting another crunch, but nothing came. Ponyboy looked down at his feet, scrunching his eyebrows together. The glass stops in a perfect line. He trailed the line with his eyes. A circle. The circle gave him shivers down his spine. Why was there a circle around his desk? Why did the glass not enter the circle? What is going on?

"Ponyboy, why'd you run off?" Two-Bit asked, walking in the room. "Yeesh. Who bombed this room?"

Ponyboy wanted to say that it was him, but he couldn't. He was too scared to think that it was him. He was confused. He just wanted everything to go back to normal. He wanted to be normal. He wanted to not stand out anymore. He doesn't want to be feared. "I… I don't know…" He answered, turning around to leave. The walked back to the gym.

It was around fifteen minutes later when Darry came through the doors, scanning the crowd of people before he spotted the auburn hair next to the darker toned boy and Mickey Mouse fanatic. "Come on, let's go," he said. Ponyboy nodded his head, leaving. He didn't want to be stuck in the room any longer. The more parents that came in, the more looks of fear and disgust were shot at him. Darry slowly drove home, the rain washed over the front window, making it impossible to see clearly. Darry pulled over on the side of the road, the windshield wipers beat ferociously.

"Can you believe this weather? It was calmer when I went to pick you up," Darry said, exasperated.

Two-Bit laughed.

"What are you laughing at?"

In a weird accent, Two-Bit said, "Does anyone have some Grey Poupon?"

"What?"

"Do you have some Grey Poupon?"

"Why would I have Grey Poupon?"

Ponyboy couldn't help but laugh at the annoyed look on Darry's face. Johnny's lips curved up in a small smile.

"Oh, why don't you have Grey Poupon?" Ponyboy asked, matching the strange accent. "All we want is a little mustard. Is that too much to ask?"

"Grey Poupon!" Two-Bit cheered.

"Grey Poupon!"

The two laughed. This time, Darry had to smile.

Sun peaked out of the grey clouds, rain lightening until it was only a sprinkle.

"Hey, it stopped raining," Johnny pointed out.

"You're right. Where do we live in? Florida? The weather changes are crazy," Darry muttered.

Ponyboy looked out the window. His heart thumped in his chest. Why had the weather changed drastically like that? He was feeling light-hearted a few moments ago and the sun came out. In the class, he felt overwhelmed and the window exploded. Is it really his fault?

Darry drove back on the road to get back to the house.

"I'm serious about the Grey Poupon, though. Do you have some?" Two-Bit said.

**o-o-o**

**Okay, boring chapter. But it is a filler chapter to get to another part.**

**Also, congratulations to BumbleBee456 for winning the contest in my last chapter. The answer was indeed, Beautiful Creatures. The proof was the weather, the teasing, and the exploding window.**

**Replies:**

**Seth Clearwater: We're almost at the point where Ponyboy finds out. But this chapter explains a fit of it.**

**The Curtis Crew: I hate when that happens. Everyone's life and joy: the internet. Then someone unplugs it and it's basically like unplugging your life from the world.**

**tigertrin07: I will, thank you very much. :)**

**SaiyanPrincess: I'm still deciding if I should take you on a direction to go on top of a rug so that you wouldn't expect anything as I pull the rug from under you, or not. I don't know if I should be mean in the end of this and laugh as I make people cry. I probably shouldn't though. :/**

**Diverging Patronus: I wish they didn't have the ACT or the SAT. Why can't they just look at our grades and participation? Why make us spend so much money to take them then pay more to even apply for a college with little chance of getting in said college? Ugh, schools!**

**Tmntlover2013: Aw, thanks .**

**BunnyluvsU: I guess you can all that reference, but I was looking for where it was from. . So close. But thank you for trying. Thank you for reviewing.**

**MysteryFury: I will!**


	5. Chapter 5

"_There has been a murder recently in Tulsa. Richard White—" _Ponyboy was sitting silently in the living room. Since school was cancelled, he had little-to-nothing to do. He decided to watch the news because he figured he should catch up on current events. The television flashed a picture on the screen and Ponyboy nearly spit out the chocolate cake that was in his mouth. On the screen was the man he drove to quarantine with. _"—was caught in the act of homicide. Video has shown Richard at the gates of Donald O'Neill. Angry, Richard started to shake the gates to his house. Moments later, the glass windows of the house exploded inwards and Richard fled the scene. When police arrived, Donald was found dead on the ground, the leg of a glass table was pierced through his heart. Anything glass was shattered. In the morgue, doctors later found that the skull was cracked and the brain was melted as if a high frequency sound…"_

Ponyboy walked up to the television, turning it off. He doesn't want to hear anymore blame on the 4400. He couldn't have done this right? Then again, Ponyboy has blown in the windows of his classroom. Is it possible that all of us have powers? But why? Why did the aliens scoop us up and give us them and send us back down? The destruction of the world?

"Ponyboy, you can't just stay inside and be a couch potato. Go do something outside," Darry commanded, pointing to the door. Ponyboy groaned, not wanting to go outside. He knew that he was going to be bombarded by others, looking at him with hateful, fearful eyes. Why can't he stay inside? But, nonetheless, Ponyboy left the house. Disagreeing with Darry would get him nowhere. On the porch, he sat down. "Ponyboy. Go." Darry was looking out from the door, giving Ponyboy a pointed look. Ponyboy chuckled and stood back up, and left the property.

What to do?

Walking down the sidewalk towards the center of the neighborhood, Ponyboy dragged his fingers across the brick wall. He didn't notice the red Chevy Impala that was stalking him until it was too late.

"Greaser!" One shouted, throwing a beer bottle out of the car, impaling the wall near where Ponyboy walked. The swerved the car to a stop next to him, adding another pair of skid marks on the road. The Socs that were seated in the car climbed out.

"Hey, it's the little freak from our school," another pointed out. The others sneered at Ponyboy, surrounding him. Ponyboy backed up against the wall, eyes widening. The sky started to turn grey the longer they stared at each other.

"You're in greaser territory," Ponyboy informed.

"Like we care. You're scaring all of our girlfriends, you see. And you're hurting a lot of people. A monster like you should just die. Think about what heroes we would be if we get rid of you."

Wind started to pick up.

Knuckles were cracked.

Blades flicked out.

Sweat started to drip from his forehead.

Ponyboy thought of any way to get out of this, anyway at all. There was one way that he could think of: scare them. Ponyboy shakily smirked, curling up his fists to make it seem like he wasn't quite as afraid. Taking a step forward, he said, "Do you really want to do that? You're messing with one of the 4400. You heard the news with that man, Richard White. What he did? Do you know what I did?"

The Socs faltered, but stood their ground. The sky rumbled from above, causing them to flicker their eyes to the sky before back to Ponyboy. Fear was evident in their eyes.

But they still didn't back away. Ponyboy didn't know what his limits were with this new ability. He didn't want to find out. He was scared of the ability. He saw what it could do. Right now, Ponyboy needed to control his emotions.

"Hey!" A voice exclaimed. Ponyboy looked over. A young man, not too older than he was ran to them.

"What do you want?" A Soc snapped.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting rid of trash, what does it look like?"

"It looks like you're picking on one of—"

"—the freak-shows that call themselves the 4400?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but we are not freak-shows. I'm going to have to ask you to step away and let him pass."

"Or what, freak?"

"Or…this…" The young man lashed out, grabbing a hold of one of the Soc's head and closing his eyes. His nose wrinkled in concentration. Then a pained gasp came out of the Soc's lips. His mouth was ajar as his eyes started to roll back behind his head. His knees buckled and he sank to the glass-shattered ground, skin turning a clammy white. Then, turning purple. The Soc gasped for air, but he just couldn't.

The other Socs watched with wide eyes as their friend was dying in front of their eyes. The screamed and ran away, leaving the Soc behind. Then the young man let go and the Soc fell to the ground, skin going back to its original state. Breathing evened out.

"Are you alright?" The young man asked. Ponyboy nodded, gapping. The wind died down, clouds disappearing.

"T-That…" Ponyboy managed to get out, but was practically speechless.

"Was awesome?"

Ponyboy nodded again.

"Why did you help me?"

"We have to stick together. We don't really have anyone else to rely on. We're outcasts," his expression turned gloomy as he motioned Ponyboy to follow him. He did. If Ponyboy had the chance to talk to the 4400, especially if one saved his life, he would take it. They continued down the road and Ponyboy had the chance to actually see what he looked like. The young man was fairly tall and had short blonde hair. He had cheery golden eyes and a lean body.

"I saw what you did. With the weather. That was cool. But, news is going to spread. They will over exaggerate everything that happened."

Ponyboy frowned. He was right. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I know a man that might be able to do something."

"Are you going to see him?"

"We are."

The two walked until they reached a gate. In front of it were guards fully armed. They nodded at him, letting the two pass. Inside the gate was an apartment complex. A few people were walking around aimlessly.

"What is this place?" Ponyboy asked.

"Many of us didn't have a home to return to. We come home to see our loved ones moved, dead, or with another person. Then _he _came. He isn't like us. He wasn't stored away like us. Instead he chose to buy this newly built complex and gather all of the 4400. He gave those who lost all a home."

Ponyboy was amazed at this, but something bugged him about this. What's the catch?

"Derek, is that you?" An older, middle-aged man walked up to them. He had dark glasses covering his eyes and holding a blind stick.

"Yes, sir."

"And who's with you?"

Derek looked at him and he hurriedly answered. "Oh, uh, my name is Ponyboy."

"Ponyboy? I like that name. What can I do for you, Ponyboy?"

"Sir, Ponyboy is one of the 4400." Derek answered.

"Oh! Fantastic! Does he need a home?"

"No, sir. I was hoping you could help me." Ponyboy explained the situation.

"I understand. I'll call a few people to help."

"Thank you, sir."

"It's no problem." His hand touched Ponyboy's arm. "Just remember that you're always welcomed here. Now, if you don't mind, Derek, can you help my eyes?"

Derrek nodded, placing a hand on the man's face, Derek's face scrunched up in pain then he removed his hand. The man took off his glasses and smiled. "Thank you." Ponyboy could only watch with awe.

Minutes later, Ponyboy left the complex to walk back to his house. On the way, he walked past Buck's Bar. He watched as a drunk couple stumbled outside. He looked around somewhere else when they looked his way. His eyes looked upon a bench then a golden light shone from above him. Ponyboy looked up, then there were screams.

**o-o-o**

**I didn't edit my work. I'm sorry. . Their will probably be obvious mistakes.**

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	6. Chapter 6

"_What… What are you doing?" Ponyboy asked weakly as he stared at the blinding light above him. Dark silhouettes loomed over him uttering words that he couldn't understand. He tried to block the light to see the figures better, but his body wouldn't move. "Where… Where am I? Why can't I move?"_

"_Shh…" Something pressed around his mouth and nose. Ponyboy's vision once again wavered and he struggled to stay awake._

"_Are you sure this is right? I mean, what happens to us after we send them back?" A voice asked. Well at least that's what Ponyboy thought he said._

"_If he can help save the future, we have to do this."_

_Ponyboy's vision darkened and he was plunged into unconsciousness._

Ponyboy gasped as his eyes fluttered open. He tore his attention from the bench. What was that? Was that a memory of when I was taken? Who were those people? They talked about saving the future. Why would aliens want to save the future of the human race?

Unless they weren't aliens.

They talked about bringing us back. Does that mean… they are from the future? That's preposterous. Humans can't travel through time, let alone give them powers. But then again, it is the future. Just how advanced is the future? But how bad is the future if we have to save it?

Ponyboy rubbed his arms to get rid of the goosebumps. What was the point in giving him a power so destructive? How could that help the future? He shook his head, shaking off all trains of thoughts.

Days later, the gang all decided to go watch a movie. Ponyboy didn't speak of the memory he had obtained at the bench. He was planning on telling them about it later. Darry and Soda went up to pay for their tickets to watch _Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. _Ponyboy had to go with them because Darry didn't want him to sneak in with the others. About half way through the movie, Ponyboy had to go to the bathroom. Along the way there, he was shoved to the ground, a hand clamped on his mouth. Why does he keep getting himself in these messes? A kick pelted his stomach, making him curl up. The beating kept coming. They probably insulted him too, but Ponyboy couldn't understand them. He was too busy with the pain that spread throughout his body like a wave. As time passed, the pursuers started to get tired and slowed down. During this time, Ponyboy looked up. How much time had pass with them kicking and grabbing him? He didn't have to look at their faces to know that these were drunk Socs.

"Ponyboy?" Johnny rounded the corner to the bathroom, freezing at the sight of the Socs that loomed over his friend. The Socs stopped kicking and whirled around.

"Get him!" One snapped and they ran over to the petrified teen. One took ahold of Johnny while another threw a punch, snapping his head back.

Anger build up in Ponyboy on watching his best friend get hurt. The clouded skies built up over the drive-in theater until a deep rumble sounded. Winds picked up at high speeds, sweeping in a circular motion, picking up debris on the floor. As the wind grew, the clouds lowered, joining the small tornado. Soon, there was a small, dark twister spinning. It wasn't big enough to suck you in, but it was enough to frighten. The electricity to the theater cut off causing screams from girls and annoyed grunts from others that were seated away from the bathroom. There were more screams when the twister grew and people started to notice it. The Socs stumbled back, letting go of Johnny. Lighting flashed in the sky, stretching out like a spider web. The theater started to get evacuated.

"Ponyboy!" Came Darry's urgent voice. He spun around the corner, seeing the Socs, then seeing Ponyboy. The rest of the gang skidded to a stop next to him. At the sight of them, Ponyboy calmed down. The twister was extinguished, lightning dyed down. But the clouds and slight wind didn't leave. Something about the look that the gang was giving… scared him. They all had wide eyes – fear was evident in them. Fear: something that Ponyboy never thought he would see on those faces – the faces of his brothers and friends. His blood ran cold as he saw them.

Did they fear him like the rest of the world? Would they want to be by him anymore? Probably not. Would they still let him live with them?

These questions shook Ponyboy. The clouds rumbled, sending out a beam of lightning right behind the gang. It hit an abandoned car in the lot. They turned around and when they turned their attention back to Ponyboy, he was gone.

Ponyboy ran away from the theater, tears welding up. He knew that he overreacted. He knew that he should have stayed and waited for them to speak. He now knew that he couldn't go back. His pride got in the way of the possibility. He knew that he had nowhere to go. No one would take one of the 4400 in. They are the outcast of the world. The 4400 was like that one kid that gets looked down on by his classmates. The one that sits in the back corner of the room that never speaks to anyone. The one that has rumors spread about. The one that no one would try to make friends with.

Now, Ponyboy had nowhere to go, no family, no friends, no food, and no one to turn to.

But he did. He did have a place that he could go to. There were people scattered across the globe that would probably take him in. In particular: a man. Ponyboy turned around on his heels and sped off towards his direction, reaching the guarded gate sooner than he expected. Once he stepped through this gate, he knew that it would be hard to go back to the gang.

**o-o-o**

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	7. Chapter 7

"Why are you back here so soon?" Derek asked when he saw Ponyboy walk inside. Ponyboy looked down at his feet and Derek understood. "You have nowhere to go."

Ponyboy shook his head and Derek led him deeper inside the complex to a door. Derek opened it. It was a furnished apartment. "You can stay here as long as you need. I'll tell Mr. Klein that you are here."

Derek left and Ponyboy looked around the one bedroom apartment. When he finished looked at every single detail, he crashed on the couch, deciding to watch TV.

_Huge storm in the cinema at-_

Ponyboy got up and changed the channel.

_The 4400 are_

He changed the channel again.

_We have to get rid of the 4400! They are killers! The aliens are disguising as them! They caused deaths! We should put a bounty on their heads! They are not human nor citizens!_

Ponyboy couldn't listen to anymore. He turned the TV off. Why did he have to be stuck in this predicament? He and the other 4400 are not killers. They were just unfortunate to have been taken by the "aliens" who weren't aliens at all. Ponyboy thought about what they would think when they find out that aliens didn't abduct them. Would they believe him?

The door opened and Derek walked in. "So, Mr. Klein is glad to have you," he said but stopping short when he saw Ponyboy's glum expression. "You okay?"

He shook his head. "Just stressed out about this whole 4400 thing. They have their whole story wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Aliens didn't take us. I remember…"

"You remember?! This is great! We have to tell Mr. Klein."

Derek grabbed Ponyboy's arm, yanking it up and dragging him towards the door. They ran up flights of stairs until they reached giant doors. Inside the doors was a desk, Mr. Klein seated behind. He raised an eyebrow when he looked at them.

"Back so soon?"

"Ponyboy has something important to tell you. It's about the 4400."

That peaked Mr. Klein's interest. He sat up, folding his hands beneath his chin. Ponyboy explained everything: that he remembered, the news, what he heard and saw in his memory. Mr. Klein made sure to listen to every detail. When Ponyboy finished, he put on a big smile.

"This makes things one hundred times easier. Thank you so much. I feel that this can help die down the hate, but it won't for some." Ponyboy nodded. "This brings me to the next topic, but first, welcome, Ponyboy. Now, because of your free stay, I do have one request of you. Now what were you given?"

"Control of the weather."

"So if your gift was to help the world it would help the problem with the drought and help grow crops. So, here's the thing. Derek here has the power to heal anything— even cancer— so I set up private solutions for people without hope. They come, he heals, they pay, and they keep a secret to never let this out. You see where I'm getting at?"

Ponyboy nodded. "You wanted me to go to places and help them?"

"Precisely. You think you can do that?"

"Well… I guess. B-"

"Fantastic!"

**o-o-o**

Days had passed and Ponyboy never heard from Mr. Klein. Derek came and went so Ponyboy had time to get to know the other occupants. It was awkward at first, but then they explain their stories and it gets comfortable. He still heard hate from the news.

One day an announcement echoed throughout the complex.

"_Everyone, retreat back to your homes. There is a bomb threat at the front gate."_

Ponyboy looked through the drapes of his window to see people rushing inside. From where his room sat, there was a good view of the gate. Far away, but closer in reality, was a white van slowly rolling closer. The doors opened and two men rolled out. The car kept on rolling closer. The guards were holding up their guns, shooting at the wheels, but each bullet missed. The car inched closer, then exploded as the volley of bullets shattered the window and entered. From where Ponyboy stood, he could feel the vibrations of the blast.

That was aimed to kill him.

His blood ran cold at that thought. The news was right: they were going to kill us. It's them against the world now.

**o-o-o**

Ponyboy turned on the TV. He knew what was going to come up. It's all the same: news about the 4400. But today was different. Today Mr. Klein was on TV on a talk show. He sat in the empty seat while the host was blabbering.

"_So, I heard that you were taking the lost 4400 under your care," the host began._

"_Yes!"_

"_How's it like taking care of those aliens?"_

"_I wouldn't say that they are aliens."_

"_Why so?"_

"_Well we do have some 4400 who actually are beginning to remember what happened and they were not taken by aliens, but people from the far future. They had chosen certain people and gave them wonderful gifts to help us save the future."_

"_Save the future? What about the ones that had killed?_

"_Who knows what the purposes for all of them yet? We have to give them a chance."_

"_Well folks, there you have it."_

The talk show went on a bit after that before it went to another program.

**o-o-o**

It was a week after when Ponyboy got his first assignment at a poor farm. When he got there, he first came in notice to the wilting crops that were standing in rows. Mr. Klein stood next to him as they were taken to the center of the farm. The family greeted them with sad smiles.

"You can help us get water? We're only using rations of ours. It hasn't rained here in months," the head farmer said.

"I can try," Ponyboy answered. "Did you leave your water tower open?"

"Yes."

Ponyboy nodded, closing his eyes. Rain goes with the emotion sadness, so all he had to do was feel sad which was easy. He thought about the gang and their looks they gave him the day he left. As he thought about them, the sky turned grey; rain started to sprinkle down. Ponyboy added the thought of his dead parents and how they would react to him if they were alive. The rain grew heavier. Soon it was pouring with large, heavy drops.

Minutes passed and he was beginning to feel tired. Ponyboy's eyes drooped. The only thing that kept him away was his sorrow.

Mr. Klein put his hand on my shoulder. "Stop now." Ponyboy complied. He thought about a happy memory and the rain came to a stop; the sky turned blue. When he opened his eyes, the farmers' eyes were wide.

"That was amazing! You actually did that? Why aren't you advertised more?"

Mr. Klein stepped in. "We don't want this to spread too much, so if you please, kindly, keep this to yourself."

"But why? This needs to get out there."

"If this gets out there, he would be bombarded with requests. Then he might get too tired. We don't know his limits yet. Please don't let this out."

He nodded.

This process went on for weeks, but stopped when Mr. Klein had a party. It stopped when the window shattered as he made his speech.

**o-o-o**

**This was a horrible filler :( Sorry for the late update. I was having a writer's block and I was trying to write past it… so this was rough. Sorry.**

**Oh, this will be cool of you guys if you look at my poll on my profile. Maybe answer it too *nudge nudge*.**

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	8. Chapter 8

To say the truth, they all felt horrible. They had drove Ponyboy away. It wasn't really their fault— they were shocked and what they saw sort of frightened them. How else were they supposed to react to the youngest of the gang holding monstrous powers that were uncontrollable? Now that he was gone because of the mistake that took a few seconds. Now Ponyboy was gone again. The police weren't looking for him because it "wasn't their problem that one of the 4400 was missing". They had searched all over Tulsa and neighboring towns and cities for the boy— nothing. It was as if all traces of him were gone.

The remaining gang were piled up in the house, exhausted from the searching.

"Let's face it, the kid's gone," Steve said.

"He couldn't have gone far," Soda said, running a hand through his hair.

"Soda, it's been weeks."

"What if he's dead?"

"Hate to say this but the kid's smart. He can figure out how to take care of himself."

"He doesn't use his head though," Darry growled.

"Hey! Come here!" Two-Bit shouted from the living room. His voice was urgent. They all gathered in the room. The TV was turn onto a talk show, something that was weird for Two-Bit to watch.

"What's wrong?"

"Listen."

'— _taking the 4400 under your care,' _said the host.

'_Yes!' answered the man guest, Mr. Klein._

'_How's it like taking care of those aliens?'_

'_I wouldn't say that they are aliens.'_

'_Why so?'_

'_Well we do have some 4400 who actually are beginning to remember what happened and they were not taken by aliens, but people from the far future. They had chosen certain people and gave them wonderful gifts to help us save the future.'_

'_Save the future? What about the ones that had killed?'_

'_Who knows what the purposes for all of them yet? We have to give them a chance.'_

'_Well folks, there you have it. Now tell me about that party we've been hearing about.'_

_Mr. Klein nodded, stroking his stubble. 'Yes! The party is to promote my success in keeping the 4400 housed. Sadly, it's a closed party. All reservations are full.'_

_"Why did you want to show this?" Darry asked._

_"What if Ponyboy is with him? He is helping all the 4400 have a home."_

_"Two-Bit, that's genius!"_

_"Problem, how exactly do you expect to get in? That place is probably guarded," Steve said._

_"That isn't a problem because Ponyboy will let us in," Soda spoke up._

_"Will he? Last I checked, he was getting away from us," Dally muttered._

_"But still, we have to try, he's our brother," Darry argued._

_The next day they loaded into two vehicles to drive to where the apartment complex are located. It took many calls to find the location of the complex. It turns out that it was nearby. Upon arriving they saw many trucks parked in a long line. Workers were walking in and out of the complex, hauling small to large objects._

_"Looks like they're getting ready for the party," Steve said._

_They all exited their vehicles, walking the rest of the distance. It was easy to walk inside because everyone was getting ready for the party and things were getting set up. The security probably thought they were workers._

_Everyone was scurrying around, placing things everywhere. They pushed by them. Darry walked to an older lady in a suit that was behind a desk. She looked up from her paperwork when he rang the attention bell._

_"Can I help you?" she asked._

_"Yes, is there someone named Ponyboy Curtis here?"_

_The lady stared at him, obviously knowing something. She pressed a button on her desk, waited a few seconds before answering, "I'm sorry but can you state your reason of meeting him?"_

_"I'm his older brother?"_

_She pressed the button again. "I'm sorry but do you have proof?"_

_Darry growled. "Why would I need proof?"_

_"Sir, you can't see him unless you have proof."_

_"I'm his brother! Go call him up and ask him. Tell him that Darry is here."_

_She walked to the phone, picking it up, said a couple of words, before hanging up. "I'm sorry but he doesn't know who you are. Without appointments you can't stay here. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."_

_Darry's hands curled up into fists, face turning red with anger. "How does he not know who I am?!" _

_The secretary looked at him with fear. "If you don't leave, I'm going to call security."_

_"Tell me why he won't see us!"_

_"Security!"_

_Three burly men ran at them. Soda came up behind Darry, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Come on, Darry, let's go." Darry growled once more before pushing his way back out the door with the gang behind him._

_"I told you it will be hard to reach him. He doesn't want to be found," Dally said. They all left the building. Ponyboy peaked out from behind a wall, watching the fleeing figures. He let out a sigh of relief and disappeared in the crowd._

_The next day the party began and the complex was buzzing with visitors. Music played, muffling most sounds of the chatting people. Ponyboy stood near the stage with the other 4400. Mr. Klein walked up on stage, tapping the microphone for a test. The music died down and everyone turned to look at him._

_"Hello, thank you for coming," Mr. Klein started. He started his large speech that he had practiced. In the middle of the speech the doors to the building slammed open and the police ran in. Guests screamed and pushed out of the way. They spread around. Some of them went to search the building while others stayed behind. One man walked to Mr. Klein telling him of the threat. Then everything went too fast for Ponyboy and the window exploded, sending glass over people like waves. Mr. Klein's body jolted and he fell to the floor in a heap. Blood seeped from the hole in his chest and came out from his mouth. He coughed, holding his chest and crying out in pain. The police moved out, rushing outside._

_"Sir!" Derek pushed his way past others to the fallen man. He placed his hands on his chest, closing his eyes. His face scrunched up in pain and Derek cried out. His veins darkened as time went on. Mr. Klein put his arms up, pushing away the boy._

_"Stop, you can't help me."_

_"But sir—"_

_Paramedics rushed in to take the body away. Even with the small help from Derek and the hospital, Ponyboy knew that the man wasn't going to make it. What now?_

_"YOU! YOU KILLED HIM!" a woman exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Derek. "YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HIM! WHAT'S THIS I HEAR ABOUT THE 4400 BEING ABLE TO HELP THE FUTURE? YOU CAN'T EVEN SAVE ONE MAN! YOU ARE THE REASON HE IS DEAD! YOUR KIND SHOULD BE KILLED!" People joined in in her rants and security took them away. They were to leave first thing in the morning._

_Ponyboy looked out the window. The skies were dark, rain pelted down on the ground._

_**o-o-o**_

_**So if you haven't checked out my poll, you should. I need as many votes that I can. There is also about one more chapter of this story left. Finale is coming soon.**_

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	9. Chapter 9

The skies rumbled and rain dampened the ground. A hand was brought up to the doorknob, twisting then pulling. Eyes turned to the figure that walked in and their eyes widened. A soaking Ponyboy shifted from one foot to another, arms wrapped his body to keep warm. His skin was pale and dark bags were painted under his eyes.

"Ponyboy?" Soda gaped running over to his little brother, wrapping him up in a hug. Ponyboy didn't answer. He just leaned into the warm hug.

"Come in and sit on the couch, we have to talk," Darry ordered sternly but you can see his eyes filled with relief. Ponyboy nodded, sitting on the couch. A towel was handed to him and he started to work on drying himself off. "Why did you run away?"

Ponyboy bit his lip, not meeting anyone's eyes. Dally was the one who spoke up, "Give the kid time to answer— he looks like he's been through hell."

After recollecting himself, Ponyboy said, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Soda asked, placing a hand on Ponyboy's shaky shoulder.

"For everything."

"Oh, we're not mad for you running away. It was mostly our fault that happened."

"It's not only that. I came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye?"

"They're all dead. The 4400 that I lived with are dead. Most of them were murdered— shot down. We were trapped in a building together, surrounded. If any of us got in the vision of sight, we were killed. The house was crammed, you couldn't just hide that easily. There was so much blood… so much. The rest committed suicide. They couldn't take it anymore."

"What about you? How did you escape?"

"I ran with a bunch of us outside. Since I was the fastest I got to shelter faster. They thought all of us were killed, most of us were."

"I don't get it, why do you have to say goodbye?" Darry asked.

"If I stay, someone will find out and come here to finish me off. They will kill you to."

"So you're just going to leave? Just like that? I don't think you remember, but we're family. We're a gang. We stick together."

"But—"

"No 'buts'. You're staying here and we'll deal with them when they get here."

Ponyboy nodded. After another hour passed, they all decided to go to bed. Since it was raining, they all decided to stay the night. The house turned dark and quiet. Only the soft rumble of thunder, the pitter-patter of rain, and loud snores filled the house. Ponyboy stared out his window, unable to sleep. Just a few more minutes.

Johnny opened his door, tiptoeing inside. "Ponyboy?" he whispered.

"What?"

Johnny sat down on the floor, head resting against the side of the bed. "Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"The weather. You can control it, right? Does it reflect your emotions?"

"Yeah."

"What's it like?"

"A storm."

Ponyboy closed his eyes, breathing heavily to make it look like he was sleeping. Johnny asked if he was awake but there was no answer. Johnny got up and left. When Ponyboy knew that everyone was asleep, he opened his eyes and lifted himself from his bed. He pulled on a jacket and shoes and slipped out of his door. He weaved around the sleeping bodies and made it out the door. Ponyboy jogged to the sidewalk then turned around to take one last look at the house. His hands clutched and unclutched and he turned around running off.

The next morning, Soda opened Ponyboy's door, expecting to see a lump in the bed, but there was nothing— the bed was made and the young teen was nowhere to be found. "Hey, is Ponyboy there?" Soda called out to everyone in the house. All of their answers were the same, 'no'. Soda rushed out of the room, panic full on his face. "He's gone."

**o-o-o**

Ponyboy turned another corner, only to be met with another wall. His mouth tried to catch air as he turned around to run another direction, but his way was blocked by three armed men.

"Nowhere to run now," one said, cocking his gun. Ponyboy pressed his back against the wall, body shaking. The man turned to another. "Take out the dead pool. How much is this one worth?"

The other man took out a list, scanning though all the names. "Fifteen."

Ponyboy's eyebrows scrunched together. "Fifteen dollars? I thought I was worth more. Is it really worth killing someone like me when there are people on the list worth way more?"

"You're not worth fifteen dollars, you're worth $15,000. You're worth more than most on this list."

"W-What?" Ponyboy's eyes bulged at the sound of his price.

"No more chitchat. I want that money now."

"But you'll be killing a boy!" Ponyboy tried to scramble out words to get them to stop hunting him.

"In the case of money, it doesn't matter if you're a boy, a baby, or the most loved person in the world."

The gun was pointed at him and the others followed the first man's example. Ponyboy closed his mouth, shutting his eyes shut. He waited, heart beating hard in his chest. But the shot didn't happen. Instead there was a grunt. Ponyboy opened his eyes. Dally was behind one of the unconscious men, glaring. The gang swerved around the corner and Darry pulled a punch on one of the other men. He fell. Johnny ran up to Ponyboy. The gang surrounded the last guy. Ponyboy knew that he shouldn't be feeling scared anymore, but his eyes didn't tear away from the last man. Something told him something was going to happen.

The man pointed his gun and randomly shot. The bullet inserted in Two-Bit's hip. Ponyboy's eyes widened as he watched his friend sink to his knees. His breath hitched and the rain turned into hail the size of golf balls. The gang pushed against the wall, Two-Bit stumbled, pulling their clothes over their heads for more protection. The hitman screamed and he fell slump on the floor. His head gashed out blood from the impact.

"Ponyboy, calm down," Johnny soothed. His head started to bleed. "Two-Bit's fine. If you keep this up, he'll get more hurt."

Ponyboy nodded, taking a deep breath. The hail slowed to a stop, turning back into rain. The two joined the others by Two-Bit's side. Darry went to find the nearest payphone to call an ambulance. Two-Bit pressed his hand over his wound. Minutes later paramedics ran in the alley and put Two-Bit on the gurney.

When the gang reached the hospital, Two-Bit's operation was close to finish. They sat down in the waiting room and that's when Darry exploded. "What were you thinking? Why did you run? If we have gotten there a second later, you would have been dead."

"How did you find me?" Ponyboy asked.

"It wasn't easy. Why must you stress me out all the time?"

"I just thought—"

"You thought what? That what you were doing would help?"

Ponyboy nodded. "I don't want you to deal with the hitmen. My name is on a dead pool for $15,000."

"So? That's what we'll be there for. Eventually everything would die down. I don't know if you have noticed but if you stayed in the house and they came in, this would have been avoided."

Once again, the boy nodded and Darry rubbed his head with a stressed sigh.

"Please take this to consideration, okay?"

"Okay."

**o-o-o**

**So that's it. Thank you all for reading this story! Please stay tuned with my others that will come up in the future.**

**Replies:**

**Haleymay: Thank you so much. You have no idea how much your review filled me up with joy. I will continue writing, and for you I'll be writing more supernatural themed fanfictions. I'm currently working on a draft for one.**

**seems-pretty-legit: NOOOOOOOOO! *reaches out with hand***

**BunnyluvsU: Thank you so much for reading this until the end. :) Darry finally gets to see him… hehe**

**GreaserG1rl201: Thank you so much**

**Seth Clearwater: Thank you**

**Pony'sgirlfriend: Hehe. Sadly this was the last chapter. But future stories that will be a lot like this is coming up.**


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